Murphy's Law
by achildofthestars
Summary: Murphy is a man on a mission. A mission that means holding Booth and Brennan hostage. A mission that he's going to enjoy. A mission that will change Booth and Bones forever. Chap15. Booth's and Bren at the hospital, the least angsty part of the story.
1. The Padded Room

**A/N: Hey guys. Well, this is a thriller or suspense fic, more than anything else. And just to let you in, the numbers aren't really meant to be chapters or anything, it's just...sometimes my muse just has to have things done a certain way. lol. **

**Update: Edit-palooza for a kinda House M.D. Sequel.**

* * *

1.1

Setting: A pitch black room. Booth and Brennan are sitting  
listlessly, back to back against each other. Between their  
backs lie their tied hands. Her right to his right, his left  
to her left. After a long chorus of perfect silence, Booth  
begins to stir.

-

He opened his eyes and groaned against the wave of thick nausea.

"Bones?" A pause as he licked his dry lips. "Bones?"

At the sound of his voice, Brennan quietly moaned and quickly jerked her head against Booth's. They both groaned, their bodies tensing at the pain.

"Where are we?" asked Brennan as her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.

For a second, Booth didn't answer her and her heart began racing.

"Can you feel that, Bones?"

He leaned his side against the wall and in doing so, made Brennan's body follow.

"The loony bin, Bones. The padded room."

* * *

1.2

"Feels more like hard plastic." Brennan rubbed her cheek across the wall slightly. "Cracked. Probably hasn't been used in years."

"Does that really matter right now? We're tied, by ourselves."

Booth grunted in failure as he quit trying to free his hands.

"It might. We could try to figure where we are."

"Bones, can you even see? It's dark, cramped, smelly, and cold. I know you're a genius, but even McGuyver would have some trouble here."

"What's a McGuyver?"

"Nothing," Booth sighed. "Do you remember how we got here?"

"I remember my apartment. You were at the counter...reading? That's it."

"That's all I remember too."

"I think they made us inhale chloroform. I can taste it, but considering its not too strong, I'd say it was a while ago. They probably used some other drug to keep us knocked out."

There was a click. They both went still and turned their heads in the direction of the noise. Another click. Then, there was a faint swishing noise as if someone was turning the lid of a jar.

Out of the darkness, came a sliver of pale light.

* * *

1.3

Setting: The light shows the small rectangular room. Booth and  
Brennan each have an inch before their feet touch the  
walls. There is a wide space before them since they are at  
the back wall. Their hair is mussed, clothes slightly dirty  
and wrinkled.

-

The door opened to its widest point. Soon, there were the outlines of two men standing tensely. They moved aside suddenly, allowing the silhouette of another man to become visible. He stood tall, straight, confident. The man slowly took a step forward.

After four more steps, he stopped and raised his right hand. Immediately, the lights were turned on in the padded room.

Booth and Brennan flinched in response to the sudden change of brightness, involuntarily trying to raise their bound hands.

"Who the hell are you?" Booth spat out.

The man stood silent for a moment, almost as if contemplating.

"Mr. Booth, where are your manners?"

"Back at the apartment where you kidnapped me."

The corners of the man's lips slightly curved upward.

"Forgive me, Mr. Booth. I am Murphy."

* * *

1.4

Setting: The man has light brown hair with light golden eyes to  
match. He is tall. Nearly as tall as Booth would have been  
had he been standing. He has a dark green button up shirt  
with a pocket on the left side. He has one weapon visible-  
Booth's gun, tucked in the waistband of his jeans.

-

"What do you want from us?"

"Ah, Dr. Brennan. Good evening."

"What do you want from us?" she repeated.

"Oh, we can talk about that later, can't we? I'm sure you two are hungry. Would you like to eat?"

"No! We want you to let us go!"

Murphy looked away from Brennan to Booth and this time, smiled openly.

"Maybe sustenance will heighten your moods."

Without another word, he turned away and the two men who had stood in the doorway, immediately made way.

"Give them food. Drinks."


	2. His Father

2.1

Setting: 45 minutes later. One plastic plate empty  
of the generous fruit and two untouched sandwiches  
lie in front of them. Two juice boxes are also in front  
of them, tipped over and leaving a small trail of liquid  
on the mat. The two men had fed them, but had made  
them drink on their own.

-

"What do you think he wants?"

"I have no idea. The guy sounds like a lunatic, that's for sure. And did you see? He's got my gun."

"Actually, he seems very sane, logical, methodical. He does have your gun."

"I can't get out of these damn ties!"

"I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to," Brennan said as she tried to touch her feet to the walls. She succeeded.

"Bones, why aren't you more upset? We've been kidnapped, knocked out, detained in a-a- padded crazy room, left in the dark-."

"And _fed_, Booth. He wants us alive, not dead. The best thing to do is to be calm. That's the best thing to do."

Again, there was a click, followed by another, then the swishing sound. The light turned on with a buzz, and Murphy was the one who opened the door this time.

* * *

2.2

"Enjoy the food? I'm afraid it was the best we could do."

"You know what, Murphy? I don't know who you are and I don't really care. I want to know what the hell you want!"

Murphy raised his eyebrows and put his thumbs in his pockets.

"I had hoped the food would make you more hospitable, Mr. Booth. What about your friend, Dr. Brennan?"

"You! Don't talk to her! You will leave her alone!"

"Calm down, Booth."

"Your friend is very smart." Murphy nodded softly at Brennan, slightly tilting his head."I would listen to her."

"Booth, we have to listen to him. Just stay calm, okay?" Brennan sighed and looked up at Murphy. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Thank you for asking, Dr. Brennan. Actually, I would like to talk about how Booth," his eyes flickered over Booth's figure, "killed my father."

* * *

2.3

Brennan's mouth momentarily dropped open and she wished she could look at Booth. Even with her back to him, she could feel every muscle in his body tense.

"What?" Booth whispered tersely.

"Ramero Vasquez. Do you remember that name?" Murphy equally whispered.

Booth looked at Murphy wishing he wasn't tied to Brennan, wishing he could stand up and punch Murphy in the mouth for bringing up such a foul memory. Instead, he put on the mask he'd learned to wear as a sniper a lifetime ago.

"Spain. He was a known member of a terrorist group that was planning a hit on America. He was _not _your father."

Murphy hunkered down, his knees cracking almost inaudibly, and looked at Booth's turned face before looking straight into his dark eyes.

"Is that what you do, Mr. Booth? Make yourself pretend that you are two different men? One you use for everyday purposes. The other, you use to kill men? Murder?"

"I did what I did for my country. You can not question that!"

Murphy stared intently at Booth, seemingly memorizing every pore and line before standing abruptly. He looked to Brennan.

"And has he brought you into his world of lies as well?"

"I…don't understand you. Booth is an honorable man."

"Do honorable men kill civilians?"

* * *

2.4

Booth jerked at the question. "I have never killed a civilian!"

Murphy managed a glance at Booth before turning his attention back to Brennan.

"My father was an American. He left for Spain when he was twenty five. All my life, all I heard was how bad America is. 'So self-centered,' he would say to me. They couldn't care less if a person was being murdered in the next room, so long as the murderer left them alone. Do you believe that?"

"Preservation of the self. It's a survival instinct."

Murphy smiled tightly. "Always the anthropologist. Never the woman."

"That's my job."

"But it's not who you are, Temperance."

Brennan blinked at the sound of her name on Murphy's tongue.

"You wanted to talk to me about killing your father. Shouldn't you be talking to me?" Booth interrupted, hoping that would keep Murphy away from Brennan.

Ignoring Booth, Murphy continued. "We are never what we do. Don't you think so? We are only what we make ourselves out to be. My father taught me that. He also taught me to hate America. He told me to never come here. But, I never listened to him. When I was eighteen, I came here and found out what he was always complaining about. And then…your partner killed him."

* * *

2.5

"Your partner was sent to assassinate Ramero Vasquez. He was having lunch at the square on a Tuesday. Ramero stood and your partner shot him. But," Murphy raised a finger in the air, "Ramero had moved to bend down and the bullet clipped his neck."

Murphy swallowed before turning to look to Booth.

"Ramero fell to the ground, holding his neck. My father, a doctor, went to him. He was trying to stem the blood flow when Ramero, using the last ounce of his strength, reached for his gun and shot my father in the chest. Do you remember, Mr. Booth? Or had you fled by then?"

Booth momentarily closed his eyes before remembering he could show no weakness to this man. Of course he'd never forgotten.

"That was not my fault. Ramero-."

"Should have been shot again before my father got to him."

"Your father had already been too close! After the shot, he was completely in my line. I couldn't shoot Ramero again without shooting your father."

"Is that the truth? My father was in your way? You had no clear shot, none?"

"I didn't kill your father."

Murphy stood, his eyes dead calm. His lip twitched once, making Brennan mentally shiver.

"You shot Ramero. He shot my father. I was there. It is _all _your fault, Mr. Booth."

* * *

2.6.

Setting: The lights are turned off again.  
Murphy had made a swift exit only five minutes before.

-

"I didn't kill his father, Bones."

"I know."

"He doesn't think that though."

"He has to rationalize the situation somehow. He has to place the blame on somebody, and that somebody happens to be you."

Booth sighed and leaned back against Brennan. She supported his weight, knowing he needed whatever she could give him. She closed her eyes, wondering what they were going to do. Murphy… was something else. They had never dealt with a man like him before. He was dead calm, very rational, and with that, could do anything and get away with it.

"I'm sorry, Brennan."

"For what?"

"For going to your apartment. For letting them bring you here with me. For being here in the first place. It should just be me."

"That's not rational, Booth. It's not your fault that he took both of us. He's clearly insane, but not crazy."

"Still…it should just be me. You never did anything wrong."

"Booth…."

"What?"

"Just shut up."


	3. A Break

3.1

Setting: Two hours later. The room is small.  
There are two computer monitors on. One  
shows Brennan and Booth sitting in the solitary  
room, clearly night vision, while the other screen  
has gone blank. Murphy stands, staring at no  
particular thing. The three other men sitting in  
chairs keep their stern faces closed and impassive.

-

Murphy flicked open his lighter. He shut it. He flipped it open again. He repeated this for a few minutes causing one of the men to flinch every time the zippo snapped shut. He glanced at his watch. 36 hours since his mission had begun. So far, everything was going to plan.

"Martin," he said to a man with short, dark, black hair, "take their trash out."

He watched the man leave and fought to control a smile as he looked to the screen. Bathroom break, he thought to himself. How would Mr. Booth like the thought of his doctor alone with him, he wondered?

* * *

3.2

Setting: Martin has come and gone,  
making sure the plate and two juice  
boxes are taken care of. He also  
leaves the light on while closing the  
door. Because of this, Booth and Brennan  
know that Murphy is on his way.

-

"Hello you two. I do hope our last conversation was not too much of a downer for you. I would hate to think you were being depressed in here."

He waited for a response, but got nothing from either. That was good Murphy thought. It meant they were very much at his mercy.

"Well, I'm sure you must need a bathroom break. I know you've been in here for quite some time. So," he waved his hand and the three other men came into the room, "Mick and Mart will escort you, Mr. Booth. Martin will stay here to keep watch. And you, Dr. Brennan," Murphy smiled softly, "will be escorted by me."

"The hell she will!" Booth roared.

"Mr. Booth, your attitude needs a lot of work. You wouldn't want the doctor to be treated badly just because of your mouth, would you?"

"Don't touch her! Bones, Bones," he stuttered as the three men stood them up, not sure of what he wanted to say but knowing his chest was about to explode.

"I swear to God-."

"Your God is not here, Mr. Booth. Trust me. I took every precaution to make sure of that little detail."

* * *

3.3

Setting: Booth and Brennan are being  
untied by Mart and Mick. Booth tries to  
catch Brennan's eyes, but Murphy quickly  
takes Brennan by her tied hands. Murphy  
takes her away without a backwards look  
at anyone. Mick and Mart re-tie Booth's hands  
and lead him towards a bathroom.

-

"Now, I am going to untie your hands so you can clean yourself," Murphy said as he began to unknot the ties. "But I would not try anything clever."

"Would you turn around?"

"What for?"

"I may be your hostage but that doesn't mean I'm going to be the damsel in distress. I would like my privacy."

Murphy smiled and leaned against the door jam as if he had no intention of acquiescing.

"Well, because you asked so nicely."

He turned around, making sure he could hear every move she made.

"You are a very strong woman, Dr. Brennan."

"I know."

"Ha. Very strong, determined, I like that about you. It may be the only reason you are not dead by now. Where I come from, women are the matriarchs of the community."

"So, you respect women?"

"Very much so. Women play such a huge part in our lives, don't you think? Without women, men would be useless. Without women, there would be no point in living. They, you, are what make the world go round, as they say."

"Not everyone would agree with you," Brennan distractedly replied as she looked for the toilet paper.

"I do not care. Women should be treated with the utmost respect and authority. I don't see how so many men think they can beat their women into willful submission. It should be punishable by death to break a woman's spirit."

"Then why did you kidnap me with Booth?"

"Dr. Brennan," Murphy sighed, "nothing could break your spirit. Are you done?"

"Yes."

Murphy turned around and pulled the rope from his pocket and motioned for her to turn around. While he was knotting one end around her left wrist, he let his right hand brush down her back.

Brennan tried to control herself, she honestly did. But she was scared. And she hated his touch. With that, she pushed back, knocking him against the wall and turned around to face her captor.

* * *

3.4

She managed a hit to his chin while kneeing him across his thigh, and thinking she had the upper hand, tried to pull her tied wrist from his grasp, but he was so much stronger than her.

Murphy pulled the rope tied to her wrist causing he body to rush against his and quickly put his hand to her throat. As he looked into her eyes, he knew he'd have to eat his words. He flung her to the wall, still holding her neck, and then held her against the wall with his body. After a few seconds, he let his grasp loosen and breathed against her face.

"If you ever, ever, try that again? I will make you live to see your brother, Russ, die. I will make you live to see Angela Montenegro, Jack Hodgins, Zack Addy, and Seeley Booth die. Are we clear? Because I would hate to have to do that to you."

Brennan swallowed hard and tried to catch her breath. She nodded her head, willing herself not to show the hatred that was burning in her heart.

Murphy nodded in return and pulled back as if about to let her free, but then changed his mind. He grabbed her hair in his left fist, pulled her head back with a hard yank, and then used his might to make sure her face connected with the wall with a loud thud and a cry.


	4. Deal

**A/N: Thanks guys. Well, let's see what happens now.**

3.5

Setting: There are two chairs, back to  
back. Booth sits in the left one, hands  
tied behind the chair, his ears tuned for  
the approaching movement of Brennan.  
He thinks that he should have done something.  
There is no way that Murphy can be alone with  
Bones. His head turns to the doorway hearing  
the shuffling of feet.

-

Booth felt the air slam out of his body as he looked to Brennan's face. The whole left side of her face was swollen and beginning to bruise where a cut on her cheek was bleeding slightly. Immediately, he tried to stand, taking the chair with him and nearly rushed forward.

"You son of a-!"

Murphy pulled the gun from his waistband and aimed it at Brennan's head coolly.

"I will not hesitate."

He was breathing hard. He was even shaking. No. Booth couldn't do this. He didn't want her hurt, dead. But he couldn't deny the fear that was coursing through him, or the anger at this man who had beaten Bones. It took every ounce of his self control to not lunge forward and try to kill Murphy, but the gun. Booth knew he had been defeated. Looking at Brennan, he could see the plea in her eyes to just listen. He sat down roughly.

"Good job, Mr. Booth."

"Bones, are you okay?" he choked out.

Brennan tried to nod her head, but Martin grabbed her roughly to situate her in the chair so he could tie her and Booth together. Her whole face felt like it was going to implode from the pain.

Weakly, "I'm okay, Booth." Brennan had seen the burning in his eyes and had known he would have attacked Murphy in a heartbeat any other time. The problem was, there was a gun at her head, and she hated feeling that weak.

"Are you sure?"

"Just superficial wounds. No broken bones. I'll be fine."

"What did he do to you?"

"Slammed me against the wall," she said, looking at Murphy.

"Now Dr. Brennan, do you think that's fair? I mean, you did try to escape while we were talking about women's respect."

"I will kill you," Booth said evenly into the thin air, not caring Murphy didn't take notice.

Brennan pursed her lips. "If you really respected women, you would let me go."

Murphy paused, then put the gun in his waist band again.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

Murphy nodded his head and smiled a little.

"If that is what you want, then…you can go."

* * *

3.6

Brennan stared at Murphy, not fully comprehending what he'd just said.

"What do you mean I can go?"

"Exactly that. Martin will untie you, blind fold you, put you in the trunk of the car, and deliver you to your apartment."

"Why?" she asked dumbfounded.

Murphy put his hands behind his back and began walking the short room, disregarding Booth's gaze on him the entire time.

"I said I respect women. And I do still respect you, Dr. Brennan, even if you did try to escape. I know it was a response to the immediate situation, and I understand that. You request to leave and I would like to fulfill that."

"You'll let her leave safely?"

"Yes, Mr. Booth."

"You or your men won't touch her? She leaves here untouched and at her apartment untouched, alive?"

"Absolutely."

Brennan finally found her words. "Booth-."

"Bones, you've got to go."

"We don't know if he's telling the truth!"

"But this could be your chance out."

"And he might just be saying this to kill me, or _you, _the moment I leave the room."

"Listen to me, Bones." He tried to turn his face as far left as possible to catch her in his peripheral vision. "He's telling the truth. He'll let you leave. You _have _to leave. I don't want you here. It's too dangerous."

"I don't trust him," she replied, looking directly at Murphy.

"I won't let you stay here, Brennan."

"Mr. Booth, I believe this is Dr. Brennan's choice."

"You don't think I know that! I'm trying to talk some sense into her!"

Murphy pulled the gun and pointed it directly at Booth, fingering the safety with his thumb.

"Let Dr. Brennan decide, or her choice may not be so hard after all."

Brennan swallowed and lowered her head. Two choices. Stay. Leave. Stay. Leave. Her head was pounding with the possibilities of what could happen to her and Booth.

Booth breathed and stared at Murphy. He could feel Brennan's warmth and it reminded him how much she had to live. No matter what, she had to live.

"Fine," he muttered.

* * *

3.7

"If I go," Brennan said, looking up, "you won't try to hurt me or kill me?"

"You have my word," Murphy said, still pointing the gun at Booth.

"And that's it? I go free and Booth is alright here?"

"Well," Murphy flashed her a grin, "Maybe not entirely."

Brennan's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"I can't just let you go with all the time in the world to save our FBI agent, can I? So, from the moment you are put in the trunk, you will have exactly four hours before I use this weapon to put a bullet into Mr. Booth's skull."

"No, you can't do that!"

"Dr. Brennan, I believe I can."

"I don't even know where I am, much less how far from my home I am! How do I know I'm not more than four hours away from my apartment to begin with!"

"You will have to take that chance."

"Bones, take it."

"What? I can't, Booth! I don't know-."

"If you don't take it you might die. I will not let that happen!"

"If I take it there's a very good probability that you _will _die here!"

"And that doesn't matter! Do you understand me? You need to save yourself because you are the only one who can save me! Only you."

Brennan stared ahead at the wall trying to ignore Booth's fingers trying to hold onto her wrists, pleading silently to save herself. There was a possibility she could save him if she got out. There was also a good chance she was very, very far from her apartment. It was just not enough time. She turned her head and looked at Murphy. After a few moments, he looked back to her. They stared at each other for just a few seconds, but Brennan already knew what lay behind those light brown eyes. Death. For her and Booth. For one of them. For everyone.

"I leave," she swallowed thickly, "and he's as good as dead, isn't he?"

"Four hours is four hours, Dr. Brennan."

"Booth," she whispered as he tried to turn his head towards her, _"please _understand this."


	5. Choosing

3.8

Booth's heart fell. Even though he could only see the side of her face, he knew that she had made her decision, and it wasn't good for either of them.

"I'm sorry, Booth. But I can't…I can't just leave you here."

He wanted to shout at her, to tell her she was crazy. He also wished he could hold her, just to tell her that he wasn't angry at her.

"Bones, think real hard about this. This is your life."

"It's both of ours now."

"Dr. Brennan, your decision is...?"

Brennan looked at Murphy. "I'm staying."

Murphy nodded his head slightly, pulled his thumb away from the safety, and put the gun into his waistband again.

"Well then, until next time," he said with a smile that could only mean one thing. It meant that next time, someone was going to hurt, and all deals, all bets, were off.

* * *

4.1

Setting: The lights are turned off. Murphy  
has been gone for only two minutes. Brennan  
is trying to assure herself that she made the  
right decision while Booth is trying to tell himself  
that he can save her.

-

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I couldn't leave you here. He would have killed you."

Booth sat there, wondering if he would ever see daylight again. He didn't want Bones to blame herself. He would have done the same in her position.

"Don't be sorry, Bones. At least I won't be driving myself insane being alone."

"You'd be in the perfect place to do so though."

"Ha. I guess."

He gently felt her warm fingers and looked up at the ceiling. His whole life had been brought down to this. His past had drawn in the one woman he had never wanted to hurt in his entire life.

Brennan closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Her heart was still racing and pounding in her ears. She had been right. And she would get out of here. With Booth. She had to.

"Booth, do you think he can hear us?"

"Why?"

"We could try to plan something."

"I don't think so. I saw the camera, but it's the kind that doesn't pick up sound. There's not a trick wire anywhere, so he couldn't be tapping us."

"What do you think he's going to do to us?"

Booth thought about it. Honestly, he didn't know. Murphy hadn't said anything about what he was definitively going to do to them, but he wouldn't tell them anyways, would he?

* * *

5.1

Setting: Four hours later, Booth and Brennan  
are still tied up. Every now and then, Brennan's  
head droops slightly but always springs back up.  
They are waiting hesitantly for Murphy's next visit,  
which happens to be now.

-

They heard the click, the swish, and then the door rushed open with Murphy nearly running into the room. Murphy's face was impassive, neat, clear, and his gaze was solely on Booth. With a single motion of grace, he pulled the gun from his newly acquired shoulder holster and pointed it steadily at Booth.

"Dr. Brennan or Parker. Pick one."


	6. Breathe

5.2

"What?"

Murphy sighed impatiently.

"I'm giving you a choice, Mr. Booth. Either your partner lives, or your son does. I would think I'm giving you great leverage, here."

Booth's mind couldn't grasp it. His son or Bones? Dead? Alive? No. He wasn't asking him to kill one of them, was he?

"No. No! No!"

"Yes. I won't give you more time to think it over. It must be made now."

"You don't even have Parker!"

Murphy stood still and cocked his head to the right. They could tell he was listening to something as he put his finger close to his ear.

"He's with Rebecca and some man. His stepfather, maybe? They're at the table eating spaghetti. Wait. He's just managed to get some on his sleeve. The man is laughing, so is the woman. Looks quite a bit like you, I am told."

"Leave him alone!"

Booth unintentionally jerked forward, causing the pressure on his tied hands to increase tenfold, and nearly making him feel like they were being cut off. He was going to kill this man. If it meant he was going to die too, he would do it. In a heartbeat.

"Did you hear me?! You leave him alone!"

"No need to shout! My nephew won't hurt the boy…until I give the word."

Booth went still. His nephew? Good God, he was right there, outside of their window. He was watching his son eat. He felt sick. His stomach was going to turn on him. His head was spinning. His heart had turned cold.

"I said I would give you a choice, Mr. Booth, and I have."

"It's no question."

His eyes closed shut as reality hit him and her voice ebbed through his auditory ossicles.

"It's no question," she repeated a little more slowly.

* * *

5.3

"Excuse me, Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan looked up at Murphy. "You can't ask him to choose between his son and his partner."

"I just did."

Her eyes lowered before she met his gaze again and nodded her head gently. "Then it's me. It will be me."

"Bones…."

"No, it's alright." She shook her head and tried to turn in her seat. "Booth, he's your son. I understand that."

"No! You can't kill either one of them!"

"I will," Murphy replied calmly while making sure Booth saw his finger touching the trigger softly.

"It's alright, Booth," Brennan whispered, frightened out of her mind. She knew this was killing him, but his son was his world, and she knew that too.

"I can't," he whispered as he lowered his head. "I can't."

"Booth, trust me. This is the right decision. Parker will be fine."

"No! I won't! I choose me! Kill me!"

"No." Murphy's voice sounded far away to Booth. "Your choice does not include you. It includes only Dr. Brennan and your son."

"You can't kill either of them!"

"There is a gun pointed at your partner's head. There is a gun pointed at your son's head. Now, choose."

She cracked. "He chooses me!"

Brennan could see Murphy losing his composure. His calm face was reddening, his breath was coming faster, and his hand had trembled once. He might shoot Booth. She was very sure of that. She had to end this, soon.

"There, that's it! Shoot me!"

* * *

5.4

Booth could feel his sanity slowly sinking to the depths of darkness. How could he choose between Brennan and Parker, the two people he cared more about than all other things?

His own flesh and blood. The boy who called him daddy. The boy he had held when he only months old.

His own partner. The woman who was his best friend. The woman who had taken him with no questions.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan, but no. You cannot choose for him."

"Parker," he whispered softly to himself, the name filling him with love that only a father could ever feel.

"What was that, Mr. Booth?"

He raised his head and stared dully at Murphy. "Leave my son alone. Please."

Murphy tilted his head thoughtfully. "Then who would you have me kill?"

"No one."

"I'm afraid that won't happen. I gave you two options. Which have you chosen?"

"I just told you."

Murphy shook his head and waved the gun shortly in front of Booth's face.

"No. Tell me...who dies? Say it."

Booth knew he was beaten. No matter what, someone would die. He felt his heart constricting and his eyes burning. His voice, usually strong and confident, wouldn't come since his throat was suddenly dry and hot.

"Come now, don't keep us waiting."

Quietly, softly, hoarsely, "I'm sorry Brennan. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry."

Without hesitation, Murphy swung the gun from Booth to Brennan in one fluid movement.

Brennan could feel the warm air that brushed away from the weapon as the safety clicked in the air.

"It's alright," she said to Booth, maybe even to herself as the gun's cool barrel tip came to her temple.

She closed her eyes. All the things she had done, and all the things she hadn't done. Her family. Her friends. She wanted to live. More than anything she wanted to live. But so would Parker. And then….

And then Murphy pulled the trigger.


	7. Storytelling

5.5

There was a click.

Booth groaned the instant it happened, agony etched in his face.

Brennan nearly screamed while trying to breathe.

Murphy smiled just a little and lowered the weapon. "Impressive."

With a gasp, Brennan's eyes flew open as she realized she was still alive. Still captive. But still very much alive.

The tenseness of Booth's body suddenly collapsed as he gasped when he heard her breathing as if she'd run for five miles. Relief rushed madly into his mind as he could feel her fingers tightening their hold on his wrists.

"Empty clip. Just thought I'd make things more interesting while you two were here."

"I'm...going...to...kill...you," Booth said between breaths.

Murphy touched Brennan's cheek. "Very strong, Dr. Brennan."

And with that, he made his exit as swift as his earlier entrance.

* * *

6.1

Setting: Moments later. The air has lost its energy.  
Booth and Brennan are both panting as if they had  
been exercising for the past hour.

-

Brennan hung her head as a sob threatened to escape her mouth. She had died. She would have been dead. She should be dead. It was too much. The click had been earth shattering. It had solidified every fear she had ever had. With a gasp, she let a few tears escape silently down her face. They made their way down her cut face, and she relished the burning sensation as it proved she could still feel.

Booth leaned his head back with a deep swallow. His heart was ready to pound out of his chest. And his conscience. His conscience was screaming at him. He would have let Bones die. She could be dead because of him, and that was something he would live with for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry, Brennan."

It took her a few moments before she heard him. As Brennan raised her head, she closed her eyes and slumped in the chair.

Lamely, "It was empty."

"But I…I…let him…."

"So did I."

She breathed deep. It wasn't his fault. Booth and her were close, but the bond between child and parent would surpass all. She knew that and she knew Booth. He would hold this with him for eternity. Another thing he would do penance for. Her hands, no longer numb, began to feel his own. As easily as she could, she grabbed the tips of his fingers.

It took him a moment, but he grasped her fingers with as much force as he possessed, and hoped that somehow, it would show her how much he was afraid, how much he was sorry, and how much he blamed himself.

* * *

7.1

Setting: Five hours later. There is no way to tell  
night from day. They don't know how long they've  
been here or if they'll make it out. They each lean  
forward with head bowed. Booth is praying; Brennan  
is thinking. Not about getting out, but about how she  
got to where she is. No food, no water, they are each  
beginning to think that something is on the horizon. The  
sunrise or the sunset, will determine their fate. Little do  
they know,how right they are.

-

"When we get out," he said suddenly, "I'm going to buy a bottle of coke. And peanuts. Peanuts in a coke bottle, Bones. You know, the last time I did that was with my old man. We were…sitting outside in the summer with the heat about to kill us. But he bought us two cokes and two bags of salted peanuts. We didn't say much. I was just a kid, barely a teenager."

Brennan leaned back slowly.

"If I don't make it out of her, tell the team I loved working with them. They became my family," she added softly with a smile. "And I want you to tell Russ, that I'm okay. I love him. I forgive him. Tell him, if there is such a thing as an…afterlife, I'll look out for him. Not that I believe…it's just…it would make him feel better."

It was a long silent moment before Booth could say anything.

* * *

7.2

"Okay."

He also leaned back and could feel their hair mingling. "If I don't make it out," he licked his lips gingerly, "tell Parker that I'm in heaven. That I love him and I'll always be looking over him. That I'm proud of him because he's my little boy. I just love him so much, no matter what."

"Booth...I…I don't think I can do that."

"You're the only one he'll believe. He knows his mom will just be saying it because she's his mom. But you…he knows your tough, Bones. He knows you're my partner, my friend, my best friend. You wouldn't lie to him."

Booth's throat caught and he made himself hold back the tears. "You're the only one."

And with that said, he couldn't hold on anymore. He was a man saying goodbye to his son. His life. His love. His only reason for living. The tears he felt, made their slow journey down his tired face. The sob that escaped from his throat sounded weak and ravaged. His shoulders shook as more sobs pounded their way out of his mouth and landed desperately on the dirty jeans he wore.

"Okay," was all she could say as she leaned to lay as best she could on his shoulders and he also moved so he could rest his right cheek against her own, letting his tears become hers, and between them, they grieved.

* * *

8.1

Setting: Six hours crawl slowly by. Not a word  
is said between the two. Nothing needs to be  
said. They are both becoming sleepy. Trying to  
sleep however, is impossible sitting in straight  
backed chairs. The same click and swish emanates  
from the direction of the door. Neither bother to  
look as the lights turn on.

-

Murphy dragged the chair along with him and straddled it, leaning his arms on the back. He knew they were going to break. Too long without food or water would do that.

"How are you two doing?"

Booth looked at Murphy, his face showing no emotion. Brennan also looked at Murphy, her eyes dull and weakened.

"Well, it could be worse, my dears."

Again, he waited for a reaction. Nothing. Inwardly, he was proud. Outwardly, he sighed like an agitated parent and cradled his head in his hands.

"There is a fascinating story I want to tell you. It's from the Bothers Karamozov. Fabulous novel, by the way. What I found more interesting, is a certain passage that has stuck with me since I was eighteen. Do you know it?"

He waited a beat.

"What did you like about it?"

"Thank you for asking, Dr. Brennan. What I found most fascinating, was the story in which Ivan is trying to tell his brother why he doesn't believe in God. The abominable General has his favorite hound hurt by a young boy. Do you recall, Dr.?"

"I do."

"Well, Mr. Booth, I will elaborate since _you _are not being so forthcoming. The boy…hurt the dog. The General, being quite mad, forced the boy away from his mother for the night, and the next morning, called for the boy's mother. So, they're surrounding the boy with men on horseback, dressed for hunting, and, I think Dr. Brennan, you should tell Mr. Booth the rest."

She wouldn't fight. She was too tired.

"They're dressed for hunting on horseback. The General tells the boy to undress. It's cold. A cold, foggy morning. 'A capital day for hunting'. The boy listens to him, and then…."

"And?"

Brennan suddenly thinks she knows as her head whips up. From the look in his eyes, she knows that she knows.

"Would you like to finish?"

"They tell the boy to run," she says quietly, "and then the hunting dogs are let loose on him. There's no chance."

Murphy sat back with a hint of a smile.

"It's a cold, foggy, autumn morning. A capital day for hunting."


	8. Run

**A/N: so, here's a super long chapter, but it's got some action, but i can't tell you what's coming...**

9.1

Setting: All four men are in the room.  
They begin to untie the two hostages from  
each other. Booth and Brennan lock eyes for  
a brief moment before Mick forces Booth's  
head away with a hard shove.

-

"Murphy, this is crazy."

Murphy looked at her and wondered if she really thought she could talk to him.

"What do you mean?" he asked as Martin roughly pulled off Booth's shirt.

Brennan's eyes followed every motion of the other men. They were taking care of the man first. The woman would be next.

"You can't do this. We're _people_."

"I know that. But that has no bearing on the situation."

The one named Mart came and stood in front of her. With a quick flick of his wrist, he had popped all the buttons off of her worn shirt and she flinched. She was turned as the man pulled on the sleeves while another began to unbutton her pants.

It wasn't happening. No. It wasn't happening.

"Leave her alone! Don't touch her!"

She could hear his voice, but it was muffled at the last and she couldn't face him. They were holding her so tight and they wouldn't let her see him.

"Booth!" she cried out, but all Brennan heard was the muffled sound of him from across the small distance. She knew they moved her legs so she could step out of her jeans, but it wasn't happening. She knew it wasn't happening.

The air was cold. Even inside it was cold. Outside, it would be colder.

"Blindfold them."

* * *

9.2

Setting: Blindfolded, they are taken down  
a corridor, into fresh air, and into a clearing.  
The men make sure the two hostages are  
kept apart.

-

"Take them off."

The men followed Murphy's order, relieved each of their blindfolds, and stepped back.

Brennan stared before her. Woods. The chilly air made her want to cover herself. She stepped towards Booth for his warmth and he tried to shield her from the men's eyes.

Booth could feel himself slip into sniper mode. He made note of where they were, the direction of the wind, the location of constellations. How far the building was away from them. The type of trees, grass, even rocks. He looked at the four men and pushed Brennan behind him.

God, it was freezing. He could feel Brennan shivering against his back.

"What do you want?"

Murphy tilted his head. The agent was on the brink, and he could see that.

"This whole time…and you're still asking that? Well, I would think that you would know by now. I want to see you in pain. The same pain I was in for years. Mick, Mart, go get them."

Murphy walked forward and Booth stood straighter and spit at him, but missed.

"Be careful, Mr. Booth. I'm going to free you."

He didn't betray a single emotion as he watched Murphy pull a knife out of his pocket. Booth made sure of every movement Murphy made as he cut through the ties around his wrists. He didn't take his eyes off the man as Brennan stared hopelessly into his face when Murphy cut her loose.

They could fight. They could try to take him down. But they would fail. He knew that. The odds were too high against them.

"They declared him insane, Murphy."

Murphy turned his head and looked at his Dr. Brennan.

"Excuse me?"

Brennan breathed deep and repeated herself. "The General, after the incident, they declared him incapable. He lost everything."

Murphy shook his head before he took a few steps back. "I am not the General."

Mick and Mart became visible again. They held a leash in each hand. Four muzzled animals ran hurriedly forward.

* * *

9.3

Brennan closed her eyes as her mind began to spin. What were they going to do?

Booth closed his eyes as he realized the desperation,and went to fold his hands over his mouth. The movement felt awkward as his hands hadn't been freed in so long. He reached for Brennan and held her close to him.

"Booth," was all she could say.

"Don't worry," was all he could say.

Murphy smiled and felt happy for the first time in a long time.

"Head start!" he yelled at them, "you get a head start!"

They made no move as the dogs were un-muzzled.

"You heard me! Run! Run!"

And Murphy pulled Booth's gun out his holster, and fired it in the air. The signal. The race had begun.

And the dogs answered in return with snarls.

* * *

9.4

They broke for a run at the same time. Booth didn't let go of her hand once as they ran into the dark woods.

The tall grass and errant weeds whipped her legs and she winced in pain. She held onto his hand as tight as she could.

Booth looked left, right, and turned to the left. Out. He had to find a way out.

"Come on, Bones."

There wasn't a moment of hesitation in Booth's actions. There were vicious animals behind them, and they couldn't afford a second. He knew they were going slower. The ground was wet and soggy, his stomach was aching from hunger, and his mind kept telling him to save Brennan. Save Brennan. If only that, save her.

Five minutes. They had been running that long. Brennan felt the air rush out of her lungs as she skipped over a fallen log.

He ducked as a branch threatened his path and pushed her against him as they went by poison oak. Water. He could hear it.

"Booth, I'm tired."

"No. Bones, keep going. Look. Water. Come on."

Brennan could feel her legs weakening. Too fast. Too long. Not enough nourishment.

She tripped over a root and fell against Booth's back. She knew he tried to catch her, but she fell all the same.

It took him all of five seconds to pull her up again.

"Run, we have to run!"

Nodding, she found new strength and began to jog along side with him.

There it was. A small stream. Not even a stream, but it was there. He wanted to shout in glory because this had to lead somewhere, but he moved too fast. The dirt was soft and slippery on the shallow bank, and he fell. And when he fell, he didn't think he could get up.

"Booth, we have to go!"

Yes, they had to go. But he couldn't.

"Go! Follow it!" He held his head.

"No! Get up!" she hollered as she dragged him into a half standing position.

And then they heard it. The sound. The horrible sound. The dogs. They were coming.

"Get up, Booth!"

"I said go! Leave me here! You'll have a better chance."

Brennan couldn't believe her ears. The barks were coming closer.

"I'm not leaving!"

He looked at her and shook his head.

"I've given you up once already. I'm not doing it again. Go."

* * *

9.5

She went down to her knees and forced him to look at her by grabbing his face.

"You had no choice back there, Booth. I understand that. But right now, this is about us. We have a chance to get out of here."

He couldn't say anything. All he could do was shake his head.

"Seeley Booth! Get your ass off the ground! I am not leaving you here!"

And with that, she hefted him off the ground with a loud grunt. In times of desperation, the human body is fantastic she told herself.

"We have to go."

Booth nodded his head, his legs finally regaining sensation. He grabbed her hand and they ran along the soggy banks, but it was too late. Too much time had passed.

* * *

9.6

He knew they were behind them. He didn't have to look back. He knew without question when one clamped onto his ankle. With a forceful kick, he managed to escape the beast and ran faster.

With a loud groan he pushed Brennan forward and stopped in his tracks. Booth felt the animal clasp his left calf and cried out in pain. He began to wrestle the dog, needing to buy Bones time but found that Brennan had turned around.

"Keep! Going! Run!" he screamed between hits.

Grabbing a rock, Brennan rushed to his side and hit the canine in the eye which seemed to do the trick. The animal cowered and wailed in pain before returning to circle the two of them. Not far away, three more calls were heard.

"I told you to go!"

"I won't leave you here!"

The three other dogs found them then. They stopped momentarily beside their now half blinded friend, and then slowly began their stalking. One would come close, back down, circle them, and then the other would take a turn.

Brennan repositioned the rock in her hand and pushed her back up against Booth's. They were turning in circles to make sure if they attacked, they would be ready.

One broke through at a run and lunged itself at Brennan's arm. Before she could even take aim, Booth turned to deflect the blow. The dog snarled and returned to the small pack. Now, all four were coming to them.

"Booth," she said quietly, her breath raspy.

It was all he could do to not fall to the ground in defeat. Instead, he took a deep breath and moved in front of his friend. She would have a chance.

"Stay…behind…me," he gasped.

Brennan looked down. His leg was bleeding. God, the dog had gotten a good bite. When he reached his hand back to make sure she was behind him, she also saw his arm dribbling in streams of red.

In a moment of crisp clarity, she let her grip on the rock loosen. She listened as it fell to the ground with a soft and weak thud.

The dogs barked in unison. Each took a turn at lunging at Booth, but they never dared get close enough. He thought that was good, but then he realized what they were doing. They were trying to wear him down. Weaken him to the point where he couldn't fight. And they were winning.


	9. Fighting Beasts

**A/N: so, here it comes guys. i gotta WARN you, it's gonna get gross with the dogs. remember, b/b are just in their skivies. they've been fighting with the dogs for a while now, and there will be a death here...**

* * *

9.7

No, he thought. He would initiate the fight then. With that in mind, he waited as one finally made the lunge for his leg. When it happened, Booth leaned his body forward, letting the dog catch his already bitten arm. He grabbed it by the neck with his good arm and tried to break its neck, but the others had found their window.

Brennan saw two of the dogs run around Booth and mentally shouted. When they each lunged at her she thought about letting them win. She was so tired, it would be fine. It would all be fine. It would be over. But the part of her, the small part of her than hadn't been beaten, took over then. She let one grasp her arm and when it did, she let her other hand cover its head and find the eyes. It was a horrible sound. The squish and pop as her fingernails reached deep into the sockets.

The dog let go with a sharp whine and began to run wildly. The blood covering her hands, she reached down to the animal who was trying to shake her by the leg. She repeated her actions earlier, only this time it was harder. She fell to the ground at the same time giving her enough momentum to break the membrane of the eyes.

She was nearly dragged up by Booth's hands, but she didn't mind. Her adrenaline was pumping now. Two blind animals. Two still hungry animals. Four still very dangerous animals.

Their breathing ragged, showing in the cold air, was all they could hear. It had become a primal fight.

One of the dogs broke from the pack and made one final attempt to take a bite of them. In a swift motion, Booth immediately swung his leg out, kicking it from under its mouth. He made to kick it again, but instead, there was a shot.

It happened so slowly, she could see the individual spots of blood as it burst out. The steam that rose as the blood met the cold foggy air was warm and clear. The strangled gasp was mixed with surprise and fury. And the thud. The thud was as soft as the rock she had just dropped.

* * *

10.1

The whistle pierced the air and the dogs immediately turned back to where Mick, Mart, Martin, and Murphy were standing.

Murphy still had the gun pointed and Brennan almost fell to the ground. Over. Please let this be over, she thought.

He looked down at his three dogs. Well, they certainly looked the worse for wear. Too bad he'd had to kill one of them.

Booth's shoulders sagged momentarily once he realized what had happened. The shot still rung in his ears. Looking down, he saw the animal on its side, a bullet hole straight through the head.

Looking back up, he straightened his tired shoulders and put himself in front of Brennan. He could feel her breathing on his neck. He could feel her warmth on his back and what he wanted to feel, her irritation at him assuming the dominant position, he didn't. They had made it so far. But the road had ended.

"Mr. Booth! I think you need medical attention. You seem to be bleeding quite profusely. And your friend, well, she doesn't look so well either."

"What do you want now, Murphy?"

"Ah," he laughed and turned back to the three men before lowering the gun. "What makes you think I want anything?"

"Let her go."

"Who?"

"Dr. Brennan. Let her go. You want to kill me. I know you do. But she has nothing to do with what I did for a living years ago."

Murphy appeared to mull it over.

"No. Dr. Brennan, come out from behind Mr. Booth."

Booth immediately tensed and caught her arm as she tried to move.

"Booth..." she nearly pleaded with her eyes.

"I'm tired," he whispered.

She knew what he was saying, and it broke her heart. He would protect her, but he wouldn't protect himself. He wouldn't live if anything happened to him, not even for her.

* * *

10.2

"Murphy."

"Are you tired Dr. Brennan?"

"Very."

He motioned toward his three beasts.

"You've ruined them, you know."

"They tried to kill me."

"Instinct?"

"More or less."

"You look stunning. Do you know that? Besides all the blood, I mean. Tired. Disheveled. Free. Wild. Determined. Strong."

Brennan took a step back.

Murphy took one step forward, never taking his eyes off of her. "Are you tired Dr. Brennan?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes."

He took a few more steps forward so that he was an arms length away from her. "Mr. Booth, be still." He raised his hand in the air.

The three other men each pulled out guns and positioned them on Booth.

"You are breathtaking. Right now, in this moment, you are beautiful."

"Leave her alone," Booth whispered as he looked Murphy dead in the eye.

"If you say one more word I will let my men shoot you. In the intestines."

Murphy waited a beat and took his silence as acceptance. He took one more step forward until he was just a few inches away from Brennan's face.

"If you kiss me, I will take you and Mr. Booth back to the building."

* * *

10.3

Brennan inhaled sharply.

"I did not have this in mind when I abducted the two of you. But I want to give you a chance to show how much you value Mr. Booth's life, and your own."

Booth made a strangled noise in his throat.

Part of her told her to do it. Get them out of here. Part of her told her she did not want to go back to that padded room. Let him kill her.

He watched her eyes. He watched the way they widened in anger and eventually closed in something close to realization.

"Answer?"

She looked him dead in the eye, "No."


	10. Forgiving Him

10.4

It was then that he wanted to smile. He didn't. "No? You do understand my offer, don't you?"

"I understand. I will not kiss a man like you."

"A man like me?"

"A murderer. A kidnapper. A sadistic machine. An animal."

"And Mr. Booth? He is none of these things?"

"He…he is not all of those."

"But you don't deny that he is some of those?"

"He was only one. But he _is _a good man, unlike you."

"You are ready to die? You are ready to sacrifice your friend?"

She wanted to look into Booth's eyes. She wanted him to know, but she couldn't. She looked forward into Murphy's eyes.

"I won't do it."

"Very strong, Dr. Brennan," he remarked, almost proud.

Murphy pulled back and walked away to gather the dogs.

"Take them back."

* * *

11.1

Setting: Six hours later. They lay  
on their sides, hands tied between  
them. The men had hastily thrown on  
their clothes again and left them. Neither  
said anything as they immediately fell  
asleep. Brennan opens her eyes.

-

It took her a moment to realize where she was -- the dark padded room. She closed her eyes again and wished this was a dream. The blood that had dried on her was beginning to itch, her hair was matted and dirty, her stomach felt traitorous, and her mind was simply about to break.

Brennan tried to shift her body off of her arm, waking Booth up in the process.

He knew immediately where he was. The room smelled like blood. He looked down and even in the dark knew he'd bled a lot. It was probably soaking through whatever this thing was made of. Replaying the last few hours in his head, he wondered what was going to happen. He wondered if they were getting out of here. It was all because of him. All because he had been a sniper. All because he had thought that was the right thing to do.

"Bones," he whispered into the small darkness.

There was a silent pause before she answered him with her own question.

"How are you feeling?"

"Lost some blood, but I'm okay. You?"

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

He waited for another minute, gathering his courage.

"I'm sorry, Brennan."

"For what," she whispered.

"If I knew then…that this would happen, I never would have done it. I just…I never thought that it would come this far."

"I know, Booth. It's not your fault."

"Isn't it?"

* * *

11.2

She didn't want to lie. It _was _his fault. Because he had been a sniper, he had taken lives, and because of that, had created enemies.

She didn't want to lie. It wasn't his fault. He had done what he thought best. How could she fault that? There was no way to do that.

"No, it's Murphy's fault."

He licked his lips painfully as he fought himself.

"Bones, I never…I never told you the things that I did. What I did…deserves this. It deserves every bit of this. I deserve it…but you don't."

"You don't deserve this just like I don't."

"But you don't understand. I killed people. I did. Nobody stood beside me and pulled the trigger. It was all me. It doesn't matter that they deserved what I did, but I left their families to deal with it, Bones. Me. I did that."

"It was your job, Booth. Those men were bad people."

"But I became one of them. Every time I pulled that trigger, I became them. Every time I told myself it was for the good of everyone else, I lied to myself. If you knew…you wouldn't like me."

Brennan closed her eyes and tried to shift her head so that the cut on her face would quit screaming. What could she say?

"I do like you."

"You don't know me. If you did know me, you would've let me die the first chance you got. You wouldn't be such a good friend."

"Stop talking like this. It's not productive."

* * *

11.3

Booth was quiet after that. There was a burning in his throat that he couldn't control. She had stayed with him through all of this, and he had given her up at the beginning. Hell. That's where he was going. That was all he was good for. No matter how much he prayed for forgiveness, he wouldn't deserve it.

"I didn't want you to die, Brennan. I didn't."

Her eyes fluttered at the memory of the gun against her head. She swallowed as she remembered the monstrous click as the trigger had been pulled.

"I know you didn't, Booth. It's not your fault."

He nodded his head softly, knowing she was saying what she thought she should say.

"I told myself…that it was better if they died. I knew what they had done. Those men…were mass murderers…terrorists…rapists. They needed to be out of this world where they couldn't hurt anyone else. So I went where I was told and I took them out. I watched as they fell to the ground. I watched as their families, their daughters, their sons, their parents, their friends, were covered with blood as they held them. I didn't want to see it. But I always did."

"Booth…."

"Sometimes, the women would fall to their knees and scream. They would hold whoever I was told to kill, in their laps and scream. And the kids…I never wanted to do that to them. I never wanted them to see, but they did. God, Bones, sometimes they did. I've killed men and women, Bones. I'm a murderer."

* * *

11.4

"You killed because you had to, Booth. This case with Murphy is just an exaggerated state of outcome."

"Do you forgive me?" he asked suddenly.

Every fiber of her body tensed as he asked. Did she know what he meant? Yes. She did. Not for Murphy, but for his past. That's what he wanted to know, but could she give it to him? Did she even really know if she did want to forgive him for it?

Booth waited silently, counting the thumps of his heart. She won't, he thinks.

"You don't have anything for me to forgive you for."

"I do," he whispered and could feel himself falling. His soul was fading into the darkness, along with his mind, and only she could hold him.

"Booth-."

"Forgive me," he pleaded as he painfully moved just a centimeter closer to her.

Brennan breathed deep, closed her eyes, and her walls fell. Everything that had happened had led her here. Her life had led her here. His life had led her here. All she could do was live. Her education didn't matter anymore. Her love of science had no bearings here. All she could be was herself. Not Dr. Brennan, but Temperance.

She knew he was waiting for her answer, and so she thought back to when she was younger. She thought back to when she had been so alone, only to compare it to now. Now, she wasn't alone. Now, she had Booth. And so she said something that would ordinarily be out of character for her.

"'Throughout all eternity/ I forgive you, you forgive me.'"

She closed the small distance between them, and felt his breathing become deep and slow. Resting her weight against him, she knew that he believed her. And she knew that she believed him.


	11. Staying Awake

12.1

Setting: Two hours later. They don't  
hear the click, or the swish of the door  
opening. They don't see the lights turn  
on. They don't see the four men enter  
the room.

-

For a moment, he stood in silence. Murphy glanced at the two figures beneath him and felt something. He wasn't quite sure what, but he hadn't expected it. They looked…tragic, was the only word that fit. With a flick of the wrist he cut the ties around their wrists and nodded to the other three men.

Without hesitation, he and Mart yanked a sleeping Booth up. Mick and Martin did the same with Brennan.

"Wha-? Let me go!"

Booth struggled against Murphy but was knocked back by a punch from Mart. His eyes tried to adjust. Where was she? He was answered by her grunt as Mick pulled her hair back from her face in a jerk.

"Leave her alone!"

Brennan could feel the two grasping her arms and pulling her back. What was going on? Her mind was working too slow.

"What? What are you doing to me?!"

She kicked at them but they only shoved her between themselves. Too strong. They were too strong and they were still pulling her away.

He grunted again as he felt a blow to his chest. He managed to free one of his arms from Mart and punch Murphy in the gut. To his amazement, Murphy only grunted in return and reached forward to pull his head forward to connect with Murphy's knee.

"Umph!"

"Let go of me!" he heard her yell.

"Bones!" His lip was swollen.

"Get off of me!" Brennan once again tried to free herself, but was only rewarded with a slap across her face that nearly threw her to the ground.

"Let her go!" His legs were kicked out from under him as he fell on his face.

"She's going now, Mr. Booth!" Murphy and Mart yanked Booth back up by his hair and Mark proceeded to slam him against the wall.

She knocked her head back to hear a sharp thap as it connected with Martin's chin. The leverage she gained allowed her to free one of her arms and she tried to reach out to Booth.

"Separate them now!" Murphy hollered as he tried to pull Booth back from her hand.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed as her shoulders were grasped and she fell to the floor.

"Get off of me!" Booth roared as he was hit in the mouth my Mart, causing his mouth to fill with blood and swell.

"I said pull her out! We're finished!" Murphy bellowed.

"Booth!"

"Brennan!"

He could see her out of the one eye that hadn't swelled shut yet.

Their arms grasped one of her legs and she had no more control. They were taking her out.

"No! No! Let me-! Booth!" She tried to struggle free.

"Bre-!" Another punch to his midsection. "Bones! Bone-!" And he was turned around so his face connected with the wall.

"I can't!" Her eyes were welling with tears. "Booth!"

"I don't-! Umph…ugh. Temp! Bren-! Bo-!"

As Murphy and Mart turned him around again, he could see her. They were almost out the door now, but she was trying to fight. Her face was dirty and wet.

"Boo-!" A hand clamped over her mouth as she was dragged out.

And then he saw her dragged out. Finding energy he thought he had lost, he almost managed to escape their grasp. He was about to knock Murphy out with a signature killing move, when just a second too late he saw Murphy holding the gun. It was too late. He heard her one more time, yelling his name before he fell, and everything went black.

* * *

13.1

Setting: Minutes later. A small hallway.  
Light filters in, showing her body lying  
silently on the floor. Slowly, she opens  
her eyes.

-

The first thing she realized was the pain. Her whole body ached and screamed in torture. As she sat up, she made sure nothing was broken. Reaching up to her head, she found blood covering her fingertips and she suddenly remembered. _Booth_.

Even through the pain, Brennan jumped up and limped as fast as she could down the hallway. Every breath was torn from her as she struggled to keep going. Finally, she reached the open door and nearly fell on her face.

There was so much blood. On the floor, on the walls, on him. She ran forward this time and nearly cried out loud. Gut shot. He'd been gut shot. Falling to her knees she checked his pulse.

"Be alive, be alive," she chanted out loud.

And he was, barely. She reached over him to where his shirt had been torn off and applied it to his wound. How long had she been out? Five minutes? Ten?

"Booth?" She felt his face gingerly over each bruise and cut.

"Can you hear me? Booth? Booth? I have to get help, okay? I have to call the police. Can you hear me? Wake up. Wake up," she brought her face close to his neck, "Please…wake up for me."

* * *

13.2

"Bones?" he whispered so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

He repeated as he tried to open his right eye, "Bones?"

It was enough for her. Relief ran through her as she cried out and brought her lips to his. Yes, she knew his mouth was bruised and split, but she needed him. She _needed _to feel him. She kissed him like she had never kissed any man before. Holding nothing back, she gave him everything that was her.

"Booth? Stay with me!"

"What…happened?"

"You were shot…in the gut. I need to call someone. Hang on. Just hang on!"

Weakly he caught her hand and stilled her. He could see his vision becoming dim.

"Stay…with…me," he whispered hoarsely.

"You need a doctor."

"Stay…."

"I…I…" she couldn't finish. He had fallen under again. The tears were coming down her face and she shook her head. Brennan tried to shake his shoulders, but he didn't open his eye, nor did he moan in pain. Out. He was out. And she needed to get help.

But then she heard it. Faint at first, but she heard it. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't her wishing. It wasn't her mind playing tricks.

"Sirens," she whispered, as she cradled his head in her lap and pushed his hair back.

She put pressure on his wound, and whispered it again, "sirens."

* * *

14.1

Setting: Two days later. General Plains Hospital.  
Hospital Ward. Room 204. She watches him smiling  
at his son. Their son. Sitting in her chair, she wishes  
she had had more faith in him. He's afraid to hug his  
daddy. She's even afraid to hug him. But he was never  
one to give up hugs and so he holds out his battered  
arms for his little boy. His face lightens for just a  
moment and he smiles just barely.

-

"I love you daddy," his son says with such a somber face that Booth feels the air come out of his chest.

"I love you too, Parker. Forever and always."

He touches his son's sweet face. A face he thought he would never see again, and sighs just enough to hurt him.

"Parker, can you go wait with Drew for a minute? I need to tell your daddy something."

"Okay. I'll be back daddy."

"I know buddy."

* * *

14.2

"What do you need to tell me, Rebecca?"

She looked down and picked at her skirt before looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Seeley."

He frowned, even though it hurt him still.

"I…I thought that when you didn't pick him up, that you just didn't want to be with him. I just…he was so crushed and I thought you didn't care."

Rebecca drew in a deep breath and smiled sadly while a tear escaped. "I should have had more faith in you."

Booth didn't quite know what to say. The past few days were a blur to him. And now, his head still wasn't quite right. His feelings weren't quite right.

"It's over with, Rebecca. We all…make our own mistakes."

She nodded her head and stood up to go get Parker. As she stood in the doorway, she turned to him.

"Booth…Dr. Brennan…she's been here the whole time."

At the look on his face, she knew he was surprised. "Ever since you came out of surgery, she was here…waiting. When you woke…she left."

"Oh," was all he said.

"I think she just needs time, Seeley…just some time."

"I hope so," he whispered back, not able to look at her.


	12. Walking and Talking

15.1

Setting: One hour later. Jack, Angela, and  
Zack enter the room. Each tries to hide their  
grimace as they look at the once flawless Booth.  
Jack tries to stop himself from making a Smurf  
joke considering Booth's almost blue everywhere.

-

"How are the nurses treating you?" Hodgins asked.

"Are you kidding me? Looking like me, I've got them coming in here every three minutes trying to satisfy all my wishes."

"Ha. You are lucky man. You've been knocked out with drugs for almost two days and the Booth charm still lives."

"What can I say? When you got it, you got it."

"I'm so glad you're okay," Angela said as she sat in the chair beside the bed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to cry."

"Hey, Ange, it's okay. I'm fine. Brennan's fine. We're okay."

"I know, I know. It's just…it was so close."

Jack put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his face.

Zack fidgeted and put his hands in his pockets. He looked to Angela and she nodded her head slowly.

"What?" Booth asked slowly, looking from Angela to Jack and resting on Zack.

"Booth…you know they still haven't found any of the men. And someone came forward and confessed that he was the one who said that you and Dr. Brennan were on a classified assignment."

"Who was it?"

Again, Zack looked to Angela and Jack picked up where he left off.

"It was an agent, Booth. Carlson. He said that he pulled you on a case for the CIA and then called Dr. Saroyan to explain Brennan's sudden departure. Apparently, he's one with the right amount of clout to pull that off."

Booth could only look at his hands and he shook his head. "What else?"

"He turned himself in approximately at the same time you were admitted here. Carlson was apparently another victim of Murphy. Blackmail and hate, pretty much. FBI is still trying to find out where the four men went, but you know that already too."

"How's…Bones?" he asked, even though he'd been told by Cullen that she was under maximum security.

"I'm sorry, Booth."

He looked to Angela.

"Why?"

"I should've known something was wrong when-."

"Hey, it's not your fault. Don't ever think that, okay? It wasn't anyone's fault. Things like this happen. You couldn't stop it. You couldn't know."

She smiled sadly and grasped his hand. "That's what Brennan said, too."

* * *

16.1

Setting: Two hours later.

-

She hesitates before she walks into the room. Everyone has told her that it's alright. They have told her that it's alright to be weak. It's alright to be afraid. Instead of taking a forward step, she takes a faulty step back and leans on the cane she was issued.

She wants to see him, but part of her thinks that he'll be lying on the bed, cold and gray. Part of her thinks he'll be covered in blood and gasping for air. Part of her thinks he won't be there at all. Part of her thinks Murphy will be there. And so, she turns around and limps away to the elevator.

As the doors close, she leans back and sighs while closing her eyes.

* * *

16.2

Setting: One day later. She hesitates again  
before she walks into the room. Taking a deep  
breath, she knows that she needs to see him.  
She wants to see him.

-

His eyes turned from the t.v. screen to where she stood cautiously in the doorway. They stared at each other, each noticing the other's bruises and cuts and bandages. Noticing each other's pain. She fiddled with the cane absently.

He felt relief the instant he saw her. She was safe. Hurt, but she was alive.

She felt relief the moment she looked at him. He was safe. Hurt, but he was alive.

"Nice cane," he said softly.

Brennan took a step forward and leaned forward on the cane for the next one.

"I feel like an old grandmother."

For the first time since he woke, he smiled as best his mouth would allow.

"Come sit by me, please."

* * *

16.3

"Nice night light," she said as she sat down in the bedside chair.

Booth nodded his head and pointed at the soccer ball mount.

"Parker. He didn't want me to be in the dark."

She went silent at the memory of the darkness. To be honest, she had slept with every light on in her apartment even though she knew she was being guarded.

"That's really nice of him," was all she could think of to say.

As he looked at her, he found that this was fine. If they never said a word to each other ever again, and they could sit here forever, it would be fine. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Are you tired? I can come back."

"No, no, Bones. I'm just resting my head. It's kind of beat up as you can see."

She tried to smile and shook her head. Even through all of this, he managed to keep everything light.

"You know what?" he asked still with eyes closed.

"What?"

"I don't remember it all. At the end, I mean. I remember hearing your voice. And I could feel you, trying to wake me up. And then…you kissed me." He opened his eyes and found her looking down into her lap. "It hurt, but it was good. It meant I was alive…and that you were too."

Booth waited for her to say something, anything. He could tell she was just a touch embarrassed because of the way her face reddened.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Bones. I mean, we have seen each other practically naked."

Her head popped up and at his semi-smiling face, and she couldn't help but smile in return.

"See?" he teased, "I always knew you loved my body, Bones. This just gave you a reason to taste me."

"Shut up, Booth."

Brennan couldn't resist her first laugh and it felt good when he joined her, even though she knew it hurt him.

He held out his left hand on the bed and looked at her. For a few seconds, she battled within herself whether or not to take it. Finally, she reached forward. Their hands gripped each other's slowly. It was like an action they had never before done. As their bravery grew, their hold became stronger until each felt the other's hand become their own. He looked at her. She looked at him. This was right.

"Um, am I…I can come back."

They broke their gaze, at the same time letting each other's hand go. She looked down and he looked at the doorway to where Cam stood.

* * *

16.4

"No," Brennan looked up. She glanced back to Booth and smiled at Cam.

"I need to go run some errands anyways."

Standing, she limped her way to the door and turned back at his voice.

"You'll come back later?"

She paused and halfway turned around. There was worry and fear in his voice. "If you want me to."

He nodded his head shortly, and then she left.


	13. Truth and Lies

17.1

Cam walked over to the chair Brennan had just vacated and sat down. Goodness, he looked rough. His left eye was swollen and blue. His entire face had cuts and bruises dotted it here and there. His lip was split. Her eyes went farther down. His arms were both bandaged because of the dog bites. His chest was blue and nearly black. And his midsection. Well, he'd been shot. The doctors had been able to stop the bleeding and repair his liver. Thank God the paramedics had found them when they did.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Cam."

She looked at him, hoping he would give her a real answer. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw something she hadn't seen before. A wall. A veil. A partition. A means to hold himself away from the real world.

"You don't have to lie," she said softly.

Booth sighed and leaned back. There was so much that he wasn't ready to say. There was so much that he just couldn't say. And so, he didn't say anything.

For a few minutes, she sat there, not sure of what to do.

"When you're ready to talk, I'll be here, Seeley."

Booth opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I…it's…it's not the same, Cam."

"I know. But it'll get better. You'll see."

She let her hand lay lightly on his.

"Seeley, I want you to come stay with me when they discharge you."

"What?"

* * *

17.2

"You'll need someone to take care of you. I can take a few weeks off and make sure you're doing okay."

She smiled and leaned in closer. "We can watch old movies and you can tell me how much you hate musicals."

When he didn't react, she straightened.

"Seeley?"

Booth turned away from her and looked out into the hallway. She followed his gaze and frowned.

"Booth?"

"Cam, I don't think I can do that."

"What do you mean?"

He looked down and shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to be a burden-."

"You won't be. I want to help you. I love you."

At those words, he froze. He had known that. He had almost wanted to say those words to her once before.

"It's alright, Seeley. I want to help you."

"You don't understand," he said sharply to get her attention. Booth waved his hand, nervously, angrily, tiredly.

"Things aren't the same anymore. Everything has changed." He looked at her and hoped she understood. "There are some things…I just can't go back to."

At her frown, he breathed deep.

"I'm not the same man, Cam. I never will be. Everything in my entire world has changed. Everything. Do you know how many times in the past few days that I had a gun to my face? Or that Bones had a gun…"he couldn't finish and sighed.

Booth searched her eyes desperately.

"Do you? Do you know what went on between me, Brennan, and Murphy? Because no matter what you heard, it was ten times as worse." He swallowed loudly and tried to control his voice. "And I can't go back to the way it used to be. Never."

For a minute, she didn't know what to say. She had heard the report Brennan had made with the police and the FBI. She had shuddered in fear and wonder at how the two of them had made it through.

"And that includes me? Us?"

He wanted to say, 'no'. He wished everything could go back to the way things were. He wished so many things, but it couldn't happen. He had been to the brink, and now that he was back, he knew that he had move on.

"I'm sorry, Cam."

She raised her hand in the air and he quit. A few seconds clicked by. "It's Brennan."

"What do you mean?"

Cam looked up with tears in her eyes.

"Brennan. You and Brennan. You both changed. You both need each other. I know you two were close before…but now, it's more than that. Isn't it?"

As she asked him, he didn't know what to think.

"I don't know."

"I do. It's her. And it's you. It always was. I guess now…it always will be."

* * *

18.1

Setting: Brennan's apartment building.

-

Brennan nodded at the armed security before limping into the building. As she made her way to her apartment room, she noticed the other security but didn't acknowledge them. She reached the end of the hallway and saw the two men keeping watch. Tired, she gave them a smile and walked down to her room. She pulled out her key, unlocked the door, and walked inside, then turned around to lock her door with the three locks that had been installed yesterday. Her lights were on. She always left them on now.

With a sigh, she put her purse down on the floor and half walked, half limped to the kitchen to get something to drink. Pulling out a glass and filling it with water, she sat at the table.

Just days ago, she had been kidnapped from here. There wasn't much of a struggle. Nothing had been broken. Nothing looked out of place. But it was in the air. Brennan could feel the difference.

Leaning back in her chair, she remembered forcing herself into Booth's room after the surgery. She remembered being at his side for as long as she could. Whenever Angela tried to talk to her, she tried to listen, but they couldn't understand her. Rubbing her hand over her bandaged arm, she closed her eyes. Today was the first night she would sleep here alone. No nurses, no Angela, just her.

Pouring the rest of the water down the drain, Brennan made her way out and headed to her bedroom. She wanted to rest before she went back to see Booth.

Just the thought of seeing him made her stomach tingle. He reminded her of every day spent in the dark. He reminded her of every word Murphy had said. He reminded her of everything. Just like her reflection reminded her of every minute as well.

So lost was she in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the swish of curtains.

"You should get some rest, Dr. Brennan."

* * *

18.2

Without hesitation, Brennan reached into the small of her back and grabbed the pistol beneath her jacket. Her cane fell to the ground and she took aim at the man who stood beside her bed.

"Put your hands behind your head and get down to the ground!"

Brennan waited for him to comply. He didn't.

"Did you hear me? I said put your hands on your head and get to the ground. I will not hesitate to shoot you, or to yell for the FBI."

Murphy tilted his head to the side and shook his head. He took three steps toward never taking his eyes off of her.

"Stop. I will yell."

"No. You won't. You want to kill me yourself. You hate me. You don't want them to see, or do, what you want to do to me."

"I said stop, Murphy."

Brennan could feel her hands on the gun shake just the slightest. He was right. She didn't want them here right now. They couldn't save her and Booth before, they wouldn't save her now.

"Do you want answers, Dr. Brennan? I think you do. I can give them to you, but I would like to know you won't kill me before I tell you."

"I don't need your answers. I'm calling them to get you now."

"If you do that, know that you will be killing your friend."

Brennan paused and felt her hands quiver one time.

"What do you mean?"

Murphy held up one hand. In it, was a small black square with one red button.

"My nephew is waiting outside Mr. Booth's room. If I push this button, then it means something has gone wrong and he should give Mr. Booth a lethal injection of whatever he has in store. If I don't push this button within the next five minutes, then my nephew walks out of the hospital and Mr. Booth stays alive. You can keep your aim on me, but you will not alert your guard dogs. Do you understand me?"

Brennan exhaled and looked at him. He hadn't lied so far.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

He shook his head and stared at her, "I haven't lied so far, have I?"

* * *

**A/N: ooh, yep yep, it's him...again. and you think you know what's going to happen...but it's going to be shocking what she does next.**


	14. Gray

18.3

Murphy took her silence as acceptance and took one more step forward. "I had no intention of killing you or Mr. Booth."

"Really? I find that hard to believe."

"Why is that?"

"Do you really think I need to answer that after what you put us through?"

With a shake of his head, Murphy looked straight into her eyes.

"My goal was to torture the man. I wanted him alive so he could live through all this pain. If I happened to kill him in some rage, then that would have defeated my purposes. I tried very hard to keep my composure. You are still alive, no?"

"You're sick," she said as she aimed the gun at his heart.

"In war, nothing is unjust, Dr. Brennan. 'The notion of right and wrong, justice and injustice' had no place there."

"So that means it was alright for you to kidnap and torture us because you were mad? Because you saw this as a war between you and Booth?"

"If we are in a state of war, then there is no government between us. If that is true, then 'every man has a right to everything: even to one another's body.' If you want to win the war, then 'force, and fraud,' are two cardinal virtues."

"You know that it's not his fault that Ramero shot your father! Now look what you've done to us. You can't justify that."

"I tried to find my peace, Dr. Brennan!" His face turned red with his energy focused on keeping his voice quiet. "I tried for over twenty years to do that. And when I couldn't find it, I used all advantages of war and sought it. I found him, and I found you, and I found my war, and I found my peace. This war between him and I is over now."

Murphy sighed at his anger, and then turned his head toward her small hallway. He needed to leave as soon as possible.

* * *

18.4

"It's Mr. Booth's turn now, Dr. Brennan. He must make his own peace."

He started a few steps forward, intending to leave, but she moved in front of him, making sure he knew that she was ready to fire.

"I will shoot you if you try to leave."

Murphy raised an eyebrow.

"Will you?"

"Do you know how many times you tried to kill me? Do you know how many times you put that gun in my face? Do you know how many times I was hit, or bit? Not to mention the others you have tortured. I will kill you at the slightest chance."

That head tilted to the side again, as if he was thinking. Those light brown eyes tried to peer into her soul and Brennan hated that.

"I'm not what you think I am, Dr. Brennan. I've only killed one man, and that was long ago. I have never gone near to that again. I wouldn't live with myself if I happened to murder again."

"Liar," she whispered.

"Did they let you see the file they have on me? Did you read that?"

From her stiff silence, he knew they hadn't.

"Then you don't know. I'm telling the truth. I killed him…for a very good reason, Dr. Brennan. He killed my brother the next day my father was killed because he thought my brother had our father's money. I make no apologies for that action."

"I don't care."

"If you are going to shoot me, then you better kill me with the first shot," he remarked impatiently. "I've only got two minutes left before my nephew leaves for good. Don't shoot my arm, or my leg, or my gut, because I will push that button and Mr. Booth will be dead."

"I can't let you just walk out of here."

He looked away and sighed before returning his gaze to the hands that held the gun.

"I'm not coming back," he said quietly.

She told herself not to cry out loud. She told herself not to feel relief. But she did all that. With a near sob, she realized a few tears had left her face. That had been the one thing that had made her shake with fear -- knowing he was out there, somewhere, and could come back for her at any moment.

"I _won't _let you leave, free."

Murphy took two more steps forward so that the gun was pressed to his heart and looked down into those eyes he had learned so well.

"The war is over. You are still alive. Mr. Booth is still alive. Both of you are in pain, but you always have been, Dr. Brennan. Both of you have your own silent pain, and now both of you have your own shared pain. At least you have someone to share with. I had no one."

"That doesn't excuse you."

"I know. But not everything can be black and white. Trust me. I've been to both sides, and the middle, the gray, is just as real. It hurts just as much."

18.5

* * *

(present tense)

The gun is shaking in her hands. Her vision is becoming blurry. Shoot him, her mind tells her. Shoot him so that he can never hurt you again. He blinks once before slowly moving away from the weapon to brush past her.

She still holds the gun in the air where he'd stood. Brennan knows her grip is failing.

She hears the front door close and she doesn't care how he got in or how he left. She doesn't care because she doesn't feel. She can't feel. She can't see. She can't do anything.

Her hand lowers and she stares at the gun before it drops to the ground. She had been lead into the world of gray once by her own father. Now, Murphy was trying to leave her there. He was trying to make her acknowledge that there was no ultimate good or evil, there was only gray. A mixture that means everything is acceptable and everything can be condoned.

Feeling her strength leave her, Brennan leaned against the wall. Her back felt the hard wood that was sturdy and strong.

"There is no gray. There is no gray. There is no gray," she repeats to herself over and over as the few tears run down her face. Suddenly, she couldn't hold herself up. She lets herself fall to the floor where she covers her face with her hands.

There can't be a gray, she thinks. There can't be, because that means there is no right or wrong. It means Murphy was justified. It means that she just let a man who tried to kill her leave. There can't be a gray.

**A/N: and...what did i tell ya. was that way ooc...i don't know, but i certainly hoped she was going to kick murphy's ass...but she didn't. which i found shocking, but maybe it wasn't to any of you. anyways, one last chapter is coming.**


	15. Coke and Peanuts

19.1

Setting: Four hours later. General Plains Hospital.

-

Booth picked at his pale sheet again. She'd been gone a long time. Sighing, he told himself not to worry. Bones was safe. His mind went back to the conversation he'd had with Agent Riley three hours earlier. He hoped against everything that it wasn't true. He hoped that whoever had been seen at Brennan's apartment just looked like him, and wasn't Murphy. There was no way it could be Murphy. He had already high tailed his way out of country by now. No. Murphy wasn't stupid enough to still be in the city.

With a sigh, he clicked through the channels on the television. His mind drifted back to that padded room. He remembered part of the ambulance ride. He remembered waking up in this hospital bed. But he didn't remember Murphy leaving the room. There was a gap somewhere in his memory, and he couldn't find it.

All he knew was that Murphy had been a good planner. Everything had been thought out and executed perfectly. Nothing had been left behind. No one knew how they did it.

* * *

20.1

Setting: Thirty minutes later. General Plains Hospital.

-

Brennan walked down the hallway, making sure no one noticed her or looked at her. She pulled her jacket closer to herself and made her way to Booth's room. Once she entered, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"You better be glad I didn't get caught with these," she said as she opened her jacket and took out the bottle of coke and the package of salted peanuts.

A sigh of relief came from his mouth as he told himself to just be quiet. Don't say anything about it, he said to himself.

"You're pretty much a cripple, Bones. Who's going to stop you for hiding a Coke and peanuts?"

Brennan looked at him as she stopped in her travel to the chair. She shook her head and made the rest of the few steps to the chair.

"I'm glad you think me being lame is funny, Booth."

"Aw, you're not that lame, Bones. Sometimes you're fun."

Again, Brennan looked at him with that I can't believe you said that look, before opening the peanut package.

"I wouldn't do that, Bones."

She glanced up from the seat beside his bed and raised her eyebrows.

"You probably want to take a few sips of that before you just load the peanuts in unless you want it to completely ruin your outfit."

Brennan took a few drinks of the bottle before slowly starting to shake the peanuts from their package into the Coke bottle.

He was going to thank her for the contraband, he really was. But before he stopped himself, what he heard himself saying was, "There was a man that looked like Murphy at your apartment today."

She tried to act like she didn't know what he was talking about.

He saw her hand hesitate for just a split second in the act of pouring the peanuts.

"Did you see him?"

* * *

20.2

Part of her wanted to ask him how he knew that. Of course, it would be all the guard dogs surrounding her that would know. Instead, she let the last few peanuts fall into the bottle before laying the wrapper on the floor.

Booth looked at her, watching her movements carefully. He knew it was true. Her face was turned, her hands were calm and still, but she couldn't look at him. Murphy had been there. And more confusing, she had let him go. Silently, he rubbed his temple, careful not to touch the bruises. What could he think? There it was...Murphy had come to her, she had talked to him, and he had left. He was angry at her because the man had nearly killed them, but he was thankful Murphy had let her go. And for that, he wouldn't think about it now, but later he would. Right now, he knew they needed each other more than anything else outside of them.

Brennan finally pulled her head up and looked him. As she tried to put her emotions together, she knew that he knew. She looked into his eyes and she could see the questions lying there. She could see the confusion and the frustration. But she couldn't tell him now. Maybe someday. But not now.

"No."

They both knew it was a lie. Neither knew why it had to be a lie, or even why they didn't care if it was a lie.

"You going to take a drink of that, or are you going to keep staring at me like you want to jump me?"

She breathed. Passed. It had passed. There may be questions or doubts, but they were together in everything. Whether it was wrong or right, they would always be on the same side. Then, she frowned as she unscrewed the lid.

"Jump you?"

"Yeah."

"I know that's impossible considering I would never jump on you since you're obviously hurt."

Booth rolled his eyes and was about to open his mouth when he saw her smile.

"You know what that means. You're just trying to be sneaky."

Brennan smiled a little wider and took a drink. "Hhmm. This is actually pretty good."

"You want to share that then, you hog."

"Not if you're going to call me a hog."

Taking another sip, she let a peanut through and chewed on it. "Very interesting."

"Okay, okay. I take it back. Can I have a drink please?"

She held it to him, watched him wince as he held the bottle and then sigh as he took a long drink.

That was the best drink he'd had in a long time. He handed it back to her and she took another long draught before putting it on the floor.

"It's very good," she said at his smile.

"I know."

Booth reached out and took her hand. He tried to pull her forward but his pain suddenly reminded him of what his body had been through. At his grimace, Brennan followed his hand, pulled herself onto the bed, and sat beside his left side.

Still holding her hand, Booth leaned back, loving the feel of her warmth beside him. It may hurt, but he needed her near him.

"Yeah, Bones. It's very good," he said as he closed his eyes.

.end.

**A/N: done. This is finally done! So, yeah, it could have gotten angsty but they've been through enough, and i'm sure they'll tackle it later on down the road and that's good enough for me. Thanks for reading everybody and thanks for sticking by.**


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